Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh VS BabyBjörn One Air 3D Mesh Baby Carriers

Ergobaby and BabyBjorn are two heavy-hitters in the baby wearing world! They both make high-end safe products that I am happy to use with my children. Both companies have soft structured baby carriers that are made from cotton but I prefer the carriers that are made of mesh because I think they are more comfortable and versatile.

So what’s the difference between the Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh Carrier and the BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One Air 3D Mesh? There are definitely some similarities between the two carriers but they are quite different in many ways. I’m going to break down some of their biggest differences to help you decide which one you might like best depending on your preferences. 

I’ve been a die-hard Ergobaby fan for years. I’ve been using the Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh carrier since my firstborn was a baby. I love using a mesh carrier because it helps keep me and my babe more comfortable on long walks and when it gets cold out we layer up and the carrier performs the same way a cotton one would. If it’s absolutely freezing then you’ll need a coat or blanket on top of your carrier whether it’s mesh or cotton. I purchased a BabyBjorn One Air 3D Mesh this spring and have been testing it out with my baby at home and on hikes and I’ve been really impressed with it. 

I’ve also done a full review of the Omni 360 here and a full review of the BabyBjorn One Air here if you’d like to read.

This review is my honest personal opinion. Neither company has paid me to review their product and I bought them both with my own money. If you choose to purchase a carrier by clicking an Amazon affiliate link on this website I might earn a small commission from either brand at no extra cost to you. The ads on this site and commission from purchases are what offsets the cost of running my website.

Weight Restrictions

The Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh has weight restrictions starting at 7lbs and going all the way up to 45lbs, which means this carrier will last you from the newborn stage into toddlerhood.

The Babybjorn One Air 3D Mesh has weight restrictions of 8lbs to 33lbs, which means you have to wait a few weeks longer to start using it and it has a shorter lifespan (not recommended for older toddlers).

These weight restrictions could be important to you if you’re looking to use the carrier with a very small baby (7lbs vs 8lbs difference) or if you’re interested in continuing to use the carrier to back-carry your toddler when you’re hiking or on vacation. The Ergo is more versatile.

Buckles

The Ergobaby Carrier has standard buckles, which means they are easy to use but could technically pinch you if you’re not paying attention. I’ve never personally had this problem when using it.  You’ll notice in my photos that some of the Ergo buckles have a special safety catch. They use baby-proof buckles on the front of a carrier where tiny hands can reach. There’s no way a baby or toddler could accidentally undo a buckle they can reach.

Bjorn has really interesting safety buckles that seem like they would be impossible to cause a pinch but it took me a couple tries to get the hang of before I figured out how to use them. They slide and click into place as you push a button.

Amount of Mesh

The BabyBjorn is almost entirely constructed of mesh. The texture of the Bjorn mesh fabric is also impressively soft. I love the fact that my baby is entirely surrounded by mesh. When I wear my baby on a hot day for a long walk I feel like the mesh does  its job by allowing airflow and keeping things cool.

The Ergobaby has a mesh body and shoulder straps. The waistband is regular fabric, not mesh but to be fair I’m not sure how much of a difference that would make considering both waistbands have some foam padding inside that is critical to the comfort of the carrier on your hips and waist. This foam padding in both carriers’ waistbands doesn’t seem like breathable material. 

The fabric encasing the waistband does feel more luxurious and soft on the Babybjorn. However, the Ergobaby has some added foam padding on the waistband buckle for added lumbar support and comfort.

The mesh on both of these carriers definitely helps me out when the weather is warm. Baby wearing can get sweaty and you want to prevent overheating if at all possible.

Adjusting Infant Seat

Both the Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh and the Babybjorn One Air 3D Mesh have adjustable infant seats. The mechanism they use to adjust where your baby sits is different. As you can see in the photos I took, the Ergo seat is configured with velcro and sliders (velcro on the inside of the waistband and external sliders to adjust based on whether baby is facing in or out.) The Bjorn seat adjusts with sleek little zippers. One zipper on the inside controls the height setting for a newborn vs larger baby and the zipper on the outside adjusts for baby facing in or out. Both these carriers can be configured to be safe for newborns without any add-ons like pillows.

This seems like a good time to mention that both carriers are capable of keeping your baby in a good ergonomic “hip-healthy” position if you’re using them correctly. Make sure you always adjust your carrier properly depending on if you are wearing your baby in a face-in or face-out position.

The International Hip Dysplasia Institute has evaluated them and deemed both carriers from Ergobaby and Babybjorn to be “hip-healthy”. In fact, every carrier by both companies passes the tests from IHDI. This matters because according to the IHDI website: “The International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) acknowledges swaddling and baby wearing devices in order to recognize products that encourage healthy hip development. This is especially important during the first six months of life when the hips are growing rapidly.”

Shoulder Straps

The Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh Carrier seems to have softer, thicker shoulder padding than the BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One Air 3D Mesh. I find the Bjorns’ shoulder straps are more firm and have less ‘give’. The Ergobaby shoulder straps are quite plush. 

The Ergobaby shoulder straps are also capable of being crossed behind your back. The Babybjorn straps are not crossable. This might be an important feature for you if you plan on wearing your baby on your front for a longer hike and would enjoy the added support across your back from crossed straps.

Chest Clip

When I’m referring to the chest clip it’s because when your infant is on your back in the carrier the strap or clip ends up across your chest. In these photos I took we’re looking at both carriers in their “front-carry” position, so the ‘chest clip’ is on my back.

The BabyBjorn chest strap is permanently fastened which means you slide the whole carrier over your head like a t-shirt to get it on. The strap is also on two sliders to help it adjust to your body so it can be between your shoulders or on your chest depending on which way you’re wearing it (front or back).

The Ergobaby chest clip is a standard clip, which means it clips on and off. When wearing your baby on your back, being able to unclip the straps is helpful so you can load your baby in properly. When wearing your baby in the front you may find you’re doing up the clip before slipping it over your head (unless you’re very flexible and can reach behind your own back or you have help doing it up). This brings me to the next section about loading baby into the carrier.

Loading Baby into Carrier

The BabyBjorn One loads a baby differently than the Ergobaby 360. The easiest way to demonstrate the difference is by watching these two short videos by the companies to see how babies are loaded. Here’s the video for putting on your Ergobaby and here’s the video for putting on your BabyBjorn. I’ll write it out for you here too. 

Basically, when I wear my baby inside the Ergobaby 360, I put on the waistband and put on one shoulder strap. Then I load my baby in and put on the second shoulder strap. 

When I wear my baby inside the Babybjorn One, I slip it over my head and secure the waistband comfortably. Then I load in my baby and buckle the carrier around him. I find there’s a little less acrobatics involved in putting my baby inside the BabyBjorn. 

I’m able to safely and comfortably load my baby into both of these carriers. If the ‘acrobatics’ of babywearing scare you then you might like the Babybjorn baby loading system better because you’re able to put it on before adding the baby to your body, which may make you feel more secure.

Baby Head Support

Both of these carriers offer good sturdy adjustable head support. You’ll want to adjust your head support depending on your infant’s height and whether you’re wearing them in a front facing inwards or outwards position. The mechanism they use to adjust infant head support is different. 

The Ergobaby Omni 360 uses buttons to fasten the head support system up or down. The Babybjorn uses sliders to do the same. I personally find both of them to be imperfect. They both do a great job of staying ‘up’ when you want more support for your baby’s head. However, they both have a tendency to flap up a bit into my baby’s face when he is in a front carry facing outwards. Although this could be user error on my part, I’ve found that adjusting my baby’s seat to make sure he’s sitting up high enough helps. The Ergobaby buttons seem to keep the flap out of baby’s face more than the BabyBjorn sliders for me.

Folding Carrier for Storage

Both of these carriers can fold neatly in on themselves using the waistband for support to keep closed. Why didn’t I know this sooner? I’ve been using baby carriers for years now and I’m only just figuring this out. Instead of bunching the carrier up and throwing it in a bag, which takes up a lot of space, you can fold it!

ErgoBaby Folding Tutorial Video

BabyBjorn Folding Tutorial Video

You can see from my photos that I was able to fold up both of these carriers pretty easily. They’re not as pretty as the instructional videos from each company, but with a little more practice on my part maybe they would be.

Fabric Type

The BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One Air has a main body that is 100% polyester and the leg zipper cover is 100% cotton. All of the fabrics are OEKO-TEX tested which means they’re gentle and safe for baby, guaranteed to be free from hazardous substances.

The Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh Carrier is 100% polyester and is also OEKO-TEX tested and free from hazardous substances. I find the Bjorn mesh to be a bit softer to the touch than the Ergo mesh.

Washing Instructions

The tag on my carrier matches the website recommendations and says the Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh Carrier can be machine washed using mild detergent in cool water and if you fasten all the clasps closed you can tumble dry the whole thing in your machine too. Make sure your settings are “tumble dry low heat” because it’s possible for polyester to melt. 

There is also a tag for washing instructions on my BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One Air and online that suggest you can machine wash the carrier separately with mild detergent and no fabric softener and then hang to dry. This carrier does not suggest using a machine to tumble dry. 

The fact that the Bjorn mesh carrier has to hang dry is actually not a deal breaker for me. The fabric on this carrier is incredibly breathable and I was shocked at how quickly the whole thing dried after I washed it. I put it on a clothes hanger and hung it outside in warm weather for an hour or two, which is actually pretty comparable to a dryer anyways. 

Although the Ergobaby Cool Air Mesh Carrier CAN go in the dryer… should it? If you have the time I would definitely recommend letting both of these carriers hang dry to keep them in good shape for longer. It will absolutely extend the life of your carrier and make it look new longer if you can take care of it better.

Additional Features and Add-Ons

The Ergobaby Omni 360 comes with one detachable zippered pocket on the waistband. It also has a privacy hood which is helpful for blocking out distractions when your baby is trying to sleep or breastfeed. The privacy hood is also good for UV protection on a sunny day. 

The BabyBjorn One Air does not have pockets or a privacy hood. It does have safety buckles, which I mentioned earlier in this article but it’s worth mentioning again in case you’re skipping through to different sections as you read. If you want to read more about the buckle differences by jumping to that section just click this text.

Ergobaby has a “drool pad” they sell separately  and Babybjorn has a “bib” they sell separately which do pretty much the same thing. These products will help protect your carrier from being munched on by your baby. If your baby likes to suck on or chew the carrier I definitely recommend these. I haven’t personally tried them but it would be easier to wash repeatedly than washing your whole carrier, it’s softer than the carrier fabric which will help protect your baby’s face, and it’ll help your carrier look and feel new for longer. 

Both companies offer a ‘cover’ which is sort of like a blanket to put over the carrier for wearing in colder weather. I love this cover option because if you live somewhere the weather gets chilly you don’t have to stop babywearing on walks or hikes outdoors. 

An Infant insert is NOT required to use either the Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh or the BabyBjorn One Air 3D Mesh. As long as your infant meets the minimum weight requirements for each carrier you can use it without an added infant booster pillow.

Instructions Tag

Both of these carriers have a permanent soft tag on the inside that will show you some helpful instructions. The instructions tag on my Ergobaby Omni 360 shows how to adjust leg positions for carrying the baby on your front face in and face out (the two most common positions you will use). The instructions tag on my Baby Bjorn are lengthy and thorough and hidden in a cute little pouch folded away when you don’t need them.

Price

The Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh Carrier is around $179 USD ($234 Canadian) if it’s not on sale and it’s the same price as the Omni 360 cotton version.

The BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One Air is around $219 USD ($299 Canadian). The cotton version of the Carrier One Air is about $189 USD ($259 Canadian). So that’s something to consider if you’re looking at this brand that the mesh version is slightly more expensive. 

If you plan on using the carrier you pick a lot then I recommend purchasing the one you like best regardless of price. This is already an item that’s over $150 which is a big purchase for most households. If you have a clingy baby you’re going to wear them a lot. Be comfortable and get a carrier you will love. Also, if you want to use your carrier for hiking it’s worth it to spend a little extra to be comfortable.

Recap

It seems like the Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh Carrier beats the BabyBjorn One Air Mesh in most categories on this list. With that being said, there are still reasons why as an individual you might want to go with BabyBjorn. 

The BabyBjorn has a more streamlined look, is softer to touch, has more mesh which might keep your baby cooler and allow the carrier to dry faster, and it has a different system to load your baby in which you might like better than the Ergo. 

The Ergobaby Omni 360 has a longer lifespan (7-45 lbs which beats the Bjorn’s 8-33lbs), it has a privacy hood, pocket, crossable back straps, you can machine wash and dry it, has padded lumbar support, and a smaller price tag.

There might be one other competitor you haven’t considered yet and that’s the Ergobaby Omni Breeze. The Breeze Carrier came out in 2021 and is a newer mesh carrier than the Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh which came out in 2017. Compared to the Omni 360, the Omni Breeze is softer, has more mesh and is more streamlined but it’s around $20 more expensive. I’ve done a full comparison of the two here if you’d like to take a look.

No matter which one you choose, I think you’re going to get a great carrier from one of the top brands in baby wearing. Ergobaby and BabyBjorn both have good return policies and if for some reason you’re not happy with the purchase you made, you’re usually able to swap it out. They’re also helpful at troubleshooting. You can get advice on how to adjust your carrier fit to make it the best experience possible by using their customer care forms. 

I hope I’ve been able to break down the biggest differences between these two carriers for you and help you decide which you may like better!

This Site cannot and does not contain medical/health advice. The medical/health information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. The use or reliance of any information contained on this site is solely at your own risk.

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